Diamond Buyers Guide

Shape

Round, princess, emerald, pear, oval and marquise are some of the most familiar shapes of diamond. The most popular is a round brilliant. All others are classified as fancy shapes.

To standardise descriptions of every diamond’s characteristics, a language known as the ‘4 Cs’ was developed. Originally inspired in 1939 by De Beers assortment to classify rough diamonds, this language is now universally spoken in the diamond world. The 4 Cs describe a diamond’s specific characteristics – its Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat weight. The combination of these four elements gives a diamond its unique personality and forms a basis for its valuation. It takes true expertise to craft each diamond that nature creates, each with its own combination of the 4 Cs.

Cut

Cut is the factor most involved in the sparkle of a polished diamond and is expressed in terms of the brilliance, fire and scintillation of a diamond. To maximise sparkle, a diamond must be cut to very specific parameters for angle and dimension with a strict attention to the polished finish of the diamond. A well-cut diamond gathers and concentrates light from many directions, then radiates it outwards to dazzle the eye of beholders.

Clarity

Clarity measures the diamond’s purity. Naturally occurring features – known as inclusions – provide a special fingerprint within the diamond. Almost all diamonds have clarity characteristics. The fewer or less prominent these characteristics the higher the clarity grade.

Colour

Diamonds occur naturally in a wide variety of colours. Generally, the rarest diamond’s exhibit no colour at all (apart from fancy colours). Polished diamonds are graded for minute variations in depth of colour, from ‘colourless’ to ‘light yellow’ and ‘light brown’. This is universally known as the D (‘exceptional white’) to Z (‘tinted colour’) colour scale.

Carat

Carat is a measure of weight. One carat (1 Ct) equals 0.20 grams and is divided into 100 points (a half carat diamond – 0.50 Ct – can also be described as a 50 point diamond). Although weight plays a major role in determining value, clarity, colour and cut must also be considered.

Caring for your diamonds

Diamonds are the most durable substance on earth. With appropriate care, they can last forever. However, like anything else they can be scratched, chipped, smudged and soiled. Powders, soaps, lotions and even the oil from your skin will create a film on diamonds. Keeping your diamond jewellery looking brilliant requires only simple maintenance. This simple maintenance will be rewarded with beautiful, long-lasting jewellery. It is essential that you are aware of how to care and clean for your jewellery.

Try to protect all jewellery from sharp blows, harsh chemicals, sunlight and extreme temperatures. Chlorine and related chemicals can severely discolour and damage jewellery as well as loosen stones and settings.
Remove rings when working with your hands, such as gardening or heavy housework. Carefully wipe jewellery with a soft chamois or flannel cloth after each wearing to remove oils and salts. Store each item of jewellery separately to prevent scratching with other pieces. Clean your diamonds on a regular basis.

Or alternatively you can visit any one of our Mazzucchelli’s stores to have your jewellery personally cleaned with our compliments.

Cleaning your diamond jewellery

Here are some simple ways to clean your diamonds and maintain their brilliant sparkle:

Detergent bath: Prepare a small bowl of warm suds with any kind of mild liquid detergent. Brush the item of jewellery with a small soft brush creating a lather. Place the piece on a wire strainer and rinse with warm water. Pat dry with a soft lint free cloth.

Ultrasonic cleaner: There are several types of these small machines available in the market. They will clean any piece of jewellery that can be soaked in a liquid within minutes. They are comprised of a metal cup, which you fill with water and detergent. When the machine is turned on a high frequency turbulence is created. Please read the machines instructions prior to use.

Or alternatively you can visit any one of our Mazzucchelli’s stores to have your jewellery personally cleaned with our compliments.

Storing your diamonds

To store individual pieces of diamond jewellery, wrap each one in a separate soft, lint-free cloth. This cushions the jewellery and keeps it dust-free. The original boxes the pieces came in are perfect for storage, though they take up more space and may be impractical for a large collection. A small cloth or plastic bag can be used as an alternative. To make lint-free cloths, old handkerchiefs, blouses, or scarves can be cut into small pieces. White cloths are best, because if they are exposed to moisture there is no chance of dyes leaking onto the jewellery.

Most people store diamonds in jewellery boxes. Unfortunately, burglars know this, and prominent jewellery boxes are often the first place they look for valuables. If left on a dresser or nightstand, a jewellery box is best reserved for costume jewellery or other inexpensive pieces. Diamonds should be stored where a burglar wouldn’t normally expect to find them.

Crowded jewellery boxes can damage diamonds. Pendants and bracelets tangle easily, and earrings may be lost if a box is so full that they are not noticed. Forcing jewellery into a crowded box may bend or warp rings, earrings, or other delicate items, especially antique and heirloom pieces. A crowded jewellery box is also more likely to result in chips and scratches.